Pocket clips..Tip up or down?

J S Machine

J S Machine

Well-Known Member
It seems to me that the trend now days is in favor of tip up, especially on tactical folders. Most knives I've bought (back when I used to do that) and a few I've made had tip down carry, and I think I prefer that more.

From what I can tell though, it seems like most buyers prefer the tip up.

Can anybody provide some reasoning to this? I'm just curious.
 
I guess tip up is for faster deployment, but I think it can be a very serious accident ready to happen. I see a few makers saying they would only do it tip down a few months ago who have now changed. Frank
 
Frank, How would you see it as accident prone? Like maybe the blade could come undone and exposed when one reaches for the knife?
 
I carry knives in both configurations, but I prefer tip up.

For me, it lends itself to a more natural retrieval/opening of the knife.

As for the safety concern, I always tuck my tip up folders against the back corner of my pocket, so if it were to somehow open, the only thing getting cut is my pocket.
 
From a retail point of selling various pocket knives and carrying them myself over the last 20 odd years plus
If it has a pocket clip it really has to be tip up or it will sit until someone buys it that wants me to take the clip off because they will never use it.

Its all about the ease of deployment and that click sound in a one handed smooth movement.
 
I always use tip up. In fact I won't carry a tip down knife any more.
i used to only use tip down for the safety thing but I guess I am jonny dangerous now....
 
The tip up carry started when flippers caught on and became popular. If you carry a flipper tip up, when it is taken from the pocket, the flipper will not snag and open the blade.
 
tomwatson said:
The tip up carry started when flippers caught on and became popular. If you carry a flipper tip up, when it is taken from the pocket, the flipper will not snag and open the blade.
Click to expand...

Well there you have it. That seems to be a logical reason. Most of my folding knives in the past few years were designed as flippers or with the same hump on the bottom of the blade, so this makes sense.
 
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